81 Factory Alarm Acting up?

[HammerDown]

This is a first, well happened twice so far.
I exit the car don't lock the doors then re-enter and everything is DEAD. No horn no dome light no engine crank, kinda like the battery was disconected.
Then I insert the door key in the drivers side turn it a few times, open the door...I have dome lights, horn and the car will start!:confused

*It's like it went into "thef protection mode" by going dead...?

Era any suggestions as I have know idea where to begin and don't really want to use the car if it may leave me stranded somewhere.:ugh

PS. I did a test on the factory alarm...> (windows down), lock the doors w/inside door switch, close door, wait for dome light to go out...the reached inside and hit the switch to unlock the doors...I open and, the alarm goes off. I then used the door key to shut the alarm off.

 

[Yoda]

If I was a betting man, I would check the connections on the door key switch in both doors to make sure they are making good contact. Clean them and reconnect them.

It doesn't sound like any of the other contact points are causing you grief, it could be the "Anti-Theft" module, but it sounds more like a contact issue
Good luck, remember your L81 is 25 years old, and to have the original alarm system still intact and working is pretty darn good

Bud

 

[HammerDown]

Thanks for the suggestion...now I kind of have an idea why (at times) when the car would sit for a week or two the memory settings for my radio would be gone.
PS I thought only the drivers side door (key switch) controlled the factory alarm ...?

 

[Yoda]

Thanks for the suggestion...now I kind of have an idea why (at times) when the car would sit for a week or two the memory settings for my radio would be gone.
PS I thought only the drivers side door (key switch) controlled the factory alarm ...?

Arming
After the ignition is turned off, the system may be armed at either opened door by:

• Power door locks.
• Activating the electric door lock switch to lock position.
• Manual door locks.
• Depressing the door lock button to the lock position. Both buttons must be depressed before the system will arm. When the last door is closed, the system is armed.

Disarming
The system is disarmed by unlocking either door with the key or by turning the ignition on. Alarm shut down is accomplished only by unlocking the door with the key.
If the driver wants to prevent arming the system after using the "Door Lock" rocker switch, the switch can be moved to the unlock position before closing all doors. He may also cancel the arming process by rotation the ignition switch to the "ON" position, then back to lock. Rotating the ignition switch will not cancel the alarm once it is activated.

There is another paragraph about Atomatic Shut Down and process. Page 2-34 in the owners manual

Bud

 

[HammerDown]

Question...could a faulty (neutral safety switch) cause my problem?

Because as of now, except for the under hood bulb (works)...the car is DEAD!:cry

 

[HammerDown]

I ended up towing it to the shop...with my back being out I couldn't get under it. As far as I got was I have 12V to the batt to starter wire and also to the alt.. My friend said it could be a bad fusible link in the main harness running down the pass side of the engine.
We'll see.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Fusable links are like a fuse. They are either good or bad. That doesn't explain your intermittent problem.

 

[craig32]

If it IS your alarm system acting up, wouldn't pulling it's fuse out of the fuse box stop it?

Craig

 

[HammerDown]

To the two above posts...I did pull the alarm fuese out, no difference.
And the problem was only "intermittent" 2-3 times. Now everything in the cockpit is DEAD.
It's at a friends Corvette shop...he's been working with Vetts and Exotics for forty+ years.

I'll post back with the diagnoses...maybe it can help someone else down the road.

 

[HammerDown]

...I'll post back with the diagnoses...maybe it can help someone else down the road.

Well the problem was that...behind the fuse block there is another junction block with a lot of connectors/wires in it several HOT. One of the HOT wires had a loose connection into the block.
We thought the entire dash would have to come out and a new harness may need to be installed...but luckly we found it to be a bad connection behind the second block.
Still a mother to fix, as there's not much room to work under the dash.

 

[Yoda]

Thanks for the followup, it's ALWAYS NICE to hear what is found and what the fix is ... Good Luck getting everything back up and running/working properly... to your mechanic too

Bud

 

[HammerDown]

Thanks for the followup, it's ALWAYS NICE to hear what is found and what the fix is ... Good Luck getting everything back up and running/working properly... to your mechanic too

Bud

From what my guy said...he's seen corrosion in the second block. But never a bad connector/plug being that loose.